She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (Disney+)

[Silver Nemesis]

In the unlikely event that anyone's interested in my opinion on the She-Hulk Daredevil episode, here are my thoughts. Fair warning – lengthy rant ahead.

The costume looks great. Charlie delivers a serviceable performance, though he's not given any dramatic material to sink his teeth into. This is like watching him play a spoof version of Daredevil on the Big Bang Theory or some other sitcom. It's superficial and doesn't reference the psychological and moral complexity that made the Netflix version of the character so compelling. If you've ever seen Daredevil guest star in a comic written by someone who clearly didn't get or care about his characterisation, then that's the sort of attitude this episode evokes.

The fight scenes are ok, but there are no impressive one-shot sequences. One of the things that made the stunts in the Netflix series so impressive was that they were accomplished using real performers rather than digital stand-ins. When you saw Daredevil leap in the air and spin around several times before landing, someone actually did it. That's not always the case here, where real stunt work is mixed with unconvincing CGI. The upshot is that Daredevil's agility has been significantly amped. The downside is that the scenes of him weightlessly leaping around sometimes resemble those from the 2003 Affleck movie.

Matt's first few scenes, where he's in lawyer mode, are the closest this version of Murdock comes to resembling his Netflix counterpart. That material was ok. The scene where he's talking to Jennifer in the bar afterwards also felt like something that might have happened in a Netflix show. But the chemistry between Matt and Jen is forced and unconvincing. In both the comics and the Netflixverse, Matt is typically attracted to women who are vulnerable or who seem to need his help in some way. Jen doesn't fit that bill at all, and I didn't buy into his being instantly attracted to her. These characters have a long history of interaction in the comics, but only as colleagues and platonic friends. The romance between them in the TV show, if you can even call it a romance, feels contrived.

It's as though the writer or showrunner had watched the scenes of Daredevil working with Jessica Jones in The Defenders, shipped them as a couple and then decided to try recreating that chemistry with Matt and Jen. It doesn't work on any level. And that brings me to the biggest problem with She-Hulk: the writing is atrocious. I gather the series is meant to be a comedy, and its target audience seems to be childless single women in their thirties and forties. Humour is a subjective thing, and people within that target demographic might well find the show hilarious. But I didn't. The Netflix Daredevil had a dark sense of humour, but he didn't talk or act like the character in She-Hulk does. He didn't constantly signal his self-awareness to the camera by grinning every five seconds, as if to and say, "isn't this silly?" That level of irony might work for characters like Deadpool, but it is, frankly, ill suited to this version of Daredevil. It could work for a different iteration of the character, but not Cox's incarnation.

It's not just the character's humour and personality that are off. More crucially, it's his values. Matt's Catholic morals are among his defining qualities and help separate him from every other superhero out there. One of the reasons the Netflix Daredevil series was so good is that it actually did a more consistent job of representing those morals than the comics have over the years. Matt's intolerance towards the Punisher's lethal methods and cavalier disregard for human life was the driving force behind their excellent conflict in DD season 2. Even when they were fighting side by side, Daredevil repeatedly stopped Frank from killing criminals. Watch the following clip from the 3 minute mark.

Now fast forward to She-Hulk, where Jen is casually using her super strength to brutalise human opponents and recklessly cause parts of a multi-storey car park to collapse, and Daredevil doesn't offer one word of remonstration. He doesn't once point out that she might be endangering innocent lives, or that her savage treatment of criminals might result in needless death. He tells her that stealth is a better approach than brute force, but he doesn't explain that one of the reasons he favours stealth is so he can strategically take down criminals without having to kill them.

You might argue that he didn't have a problem with Jessica Jones and Luke Cage using their superhuman strength against weaker adversaries in The Defenders. But that was when they were fighting the Hand, and the Hand aren't human. They're soulless demonic zombie ninjas whose lack of humanity makes them a viable target for lethal force. Daredevil has stated this numerous times in the comics.

He also directly stated they weren't alive in the final episode of The Defenders. She-Hulk's casual endangerment of human life is another matter. Those are people. They're alive. And Matt's lack of concern towards her recklessness is totally at odds with the conscientiousness he displayed in the Netflix shows.

On the subject of Daredevil's values, does anyone remember that scene in DD season 2 where Matt turned down the opportunity to sleep with Karen, even though they'd known each other for about a year and were officially dating, because he wanted to take things slow? From the 1:30 mark in the following clip.

Remember how the older Matt's sexually-responsible attitude was contrasted against the recklessness of his younger self in the flashback scenes with Elektra, emphasising his emotional maturation and character growth? Remember how he didn't sleep with Claire when she was staying with him, even though they were romantically involved? The Netflix Matt was portrayed as a man of uncommonly high moral calibre, perhaps even more so than the comic book version.

Well forget all that, because the She-Hulk episode ends with Matt engaging in a casual 'hook up' with Jennifer, a woman he's only just met a few hours earlier. We then see him strolling away from her house the next morning, in costume, in broad daylight, while a passing woman gives him a dismissive look.

Hilarious, right?

There's no mention of Karen, with whom Matt seemed on the cusp of a romantic reconciliation in the DD season 3 finale. Apparently he's no longer in love with Karen and is now willing to engage in a one-night stand with a woman he's only just met. As with his blasé attitude towards She-Hulk's destructive recklessness, I thought this rang false with the character I know from the Netflix series. That version of Matt wouldn't have degraded himself or betrayed Karen like this. But I guess when the male character's defining moral values come get in the way of the feminist heroine's empowered sex drive, the man's values have to be disregarded.

When I think back to how beautifully Drew Goddard wrote Daredevil in the Netflix show, drawing inspiration from Miller, Bendis and the best of the comic's writers, and I compare it with how badly the writers of She-Hulk have screwed him up, I find myself wishing they'd not revived the character at all. The only scene where they really got him right in this show was the courtroom scene. After that, his personality, temperament, humour and values were at odds with his previously well-defined characterisation. I honestly don't think they could handled his return in a worse manner. I didn't just want to see Charlie Cox back as Daredevil – I wanted to see him back as that version of Daredevil.

I know some people on social media are praising the new characterisation, saying that they're finally getting the goofy wise-cracking man-whore version of Matt they've been waiting for. Unfortunately that version of Daredevil does exist in the comics, and I rate it as the worst, dullest and most badly-written interpretation of the character that's out there. If that's the version some fans have been waiting to see in live action, then I can only imagine how much they must have hated the Netflix show. And if those are the fans Marvel is catering to from now on, then I'm afraid I'm out. 

Just because something was in the comics doesn't mean it's appropriate for this particular version of Daredevil. There's a scene in Detective Comics V1 #248 (October 1957) where Batman takes off his cape and uses it like a matador to fight a bull. This scene was later adapted in an episode of the Adam West TV show, where it felt perfectly appropriate for that version of Batman. But such a scene wouldn't necessarily be appropriate for the Michael Keaton or Ben Affleck versions of Batman, whether it originated in the comics or not.

Similarly, just because something vaguely reflects the Silver Age Daredevil comics does not mean it's appropriate for this version of Daredevil. Cox's Murdock, in my opinion, is the most layered and well defined live action hero in any Marvel adaptation. In principle, I don't mind the idea of him developing along a more light-hearted Silver Age-inspired path, as long as the characterisation remains true to his pre-established personality, values and psychology, and as long as the comedy elements are actually funny. She-Hulk fails this criteria spectacularly.

What really disappoints me is that Marvel Studios let them do this. In interviews, the showrunner has repeatedly crowed about how the studio gave her free rein to do what she wanted with Daredevil. Apparently Marvel's only condition was that his suit be yellow. That's how shallow their safeguarding of the character was – they only cared about the colour of his costume, not his love for Karen or his complex attitudes towards violence and vigilantism.

I'm not going to insult people who enjoyed the She-Hulk episode, or say they lack the critical faculties to tell when a once great character is getting royally screwed over. What I will say is that one of the reasons I loved the Charlie Cox Daredevil so much is I felt as though his stories were aimed at me. For once, I felt I was the target demographic; that the character and the world he inhabited were being portrayed exactly as I'd want them to be. Others have criticised DD season 2 or The Defenders, but I enjoyed them. I enjoyed everything Cox's Daredevil has appeared in so far, up to and including his cameo in No Way Home.

She-Hulk is the first production to feature Cox's Daredevil where I felt it wasn't aimed at me, that I was no longer the target demographic. It's the first time I think they really got it wrong. And that perfect batting average, which until now I've praised and defended, has finally been ruined. In fact I'd argue this is the worst live action depiction of Daredevil to date. Mock the production values in Trial of the Incredible Hulk, but at least they got the character's heart and soul right. I always hated how Affleck's Daredevil left a criminal to die on a railway track, but at least he later admitted it was wrong and changed his ways. The characterisation of Matt in that movie was still mostly on point, especially in the Director's Cut. But with She-Hulk, it's hard to imagine how they could have done a worse job of bringing him back.

So where does that leave us? I'm honestly not sure if I'll even bother watching Echo and Born Again now. Not if we can expect more of this. Not if we can expect more lines of cringeworthy unfunny dialogue like "My ass remains unwhooped." Maybe I should just accept that my version of Daredevil ended with the season 3 finale, and this new version is not aimed at me. It won't be the first time I've walked away from a franchise I love.

The only way I can see Marvel fixing this is if they use the upcoming Secret Wars movie to reveal that this Daredevil is a Skrull imposter, and that the real Matt Murdock has been held captive in a secret prison since the end of No Way Home. But they won't. Nowadays, people in the film and TV industry can never admit when they dropped the ball. They're above criticism, and it's always the fans that are to blame.

I take no pleasure in saying all this. I'm not a troll who hate-watched She-Hulk just so he could slag it off. I wanted it to be good, and I was ready to defend the depiction of Daredevil provided it got the fundamentals right. But I honestly think this show's take on the character is terrible. It's shallow, unfunny and inconsistent with the brilliance that came before. It's like following the Burton Batman movies with Batman & Robin (1997) and expecting fans to just accept it as the same character. Sorry, but no.

That's all I've got say for now. I rate She-Hulk's Daredevil episode a 3/10.

[thecolorsblend]

I never wanted to be the annoying fanboy jerk who always has to trash talk everything that comes out, everything sucks, nothing's ever good enough, blah blah blah. That kind of fan has nothing positive or constructive to offer. I've ultimately come to agree that when you've got literally nothing whatsoever positive to say, maybe it's best to say nothing at all.

One last caveat is that the only She-Hulk thing I've seen is the clip you posted. That's it.

But honestly, everything you say lines up. Makes sense. Which I sort of expected, which is why I've only had limited participation with this thread.

Your remarks about Murdock's Catholicism being his defining characteristic is spot on. Still, I *COULD* believe that Matt was going through a depression or some other emotional turmoil. I've known many devout believers who have utterly betrayed their own values following a divorce/breakup, the death of a loved one, the loss of a job or other crazy life circumstances. They didn't abandon their values or their faith. They simply went through a season of weakness and despair, that's all.

Could I picture Matt hopping in bed with a total stranger? Honestly, yeah. Under the right circumstances. It would be a very brief thing for him. Eventually, he'd come to his senses and his sense of guilt would be very real. He would avail himself of the Sacrament of Confession/Reconciliation as soon as possible. But that aside, I can buy that it would be (briefly) possible for him to do if he's under the right kind of pressure.

But as you say, I can't picture him doing it under the circumstances you describe. A Matt who's going through a fun, easygoing, more lighthearted phase who is broadly happy with his life is psychologically incapable of having a one-nighter with anyone, much less a complete stranger. Catholic teachings have shaped his moral universe and I just don't think he would entertain the idea of it. Be tempted by it, yes. Do it, no. Not if he's as happy and well-adjusted as you describe.

Which, frankly, is what I feared about his appearance on the show. Well, not this specifically. But generally that his core essence would be destroyed by hackjob writers and producers who don't understand the character and don't care to learn what makes him tick. Hell, apparently they can't even be bothered to watch the old Netflix seasons and Defenders to at least understand what Cox and the previous showrunners were up to with the character.

Like you, I'm inclined to the view that something being in comics doesn't necessarily make it canon. There are tons of comics that show their lead characters doing weird, goofy, creepy or just plain out of character stuff. They only exist because the creators had a deadline to hit and that was the best idea they had at the time. But that stuff doesn't (and shouldn't) inform CANON.

The reality with Daredevil is that everything with the character ultimately needs to harmonize with Miller, Mack, Bendis and other writers. Nocenti to a lesser degree. That's the character's core canon imo.

The Netflix show embodied all of that. Netflix Murdock was so well defined, in fact, that I'm very open to the idea of classifying Defenders as Daredevil season 2.5. You could argue that since Matt was clearly the strongest, most well-developed character in the entire Netflix universe that forcing the other characters (Jessica, Danny, et. al.) into Defenders ultimately worked against them to varying degrees. It says something that Defenders was so narratively focused on Matt that the other characters were basically supporting characters to him.

It's a real shame that everything that made Netflix Matt so special has been sacrificed on the MCU's "Isn't this all so SILLY?" tone and style.

However, in an effort to be somewhat upbeat, yes, She-Hulk does seem to be catering to middle aged, purple-haired, childless cat ladies. But it does seem true that the target demographic (narrow and flighty as they may be) has somewhat embraced the show and it's various stupidities.

So, there is a sense in which She-Hulk is a success. At least if social media impressions are anything to judge by.

Mind you, that bodes ill for MCU Matt's future.

Finally, I'm a little amazed that Cox agreed to this. I understand that he's an actor and he wants to work and earn a living in a very difficult and competitive industry. But still, it's difficult to understand how and why he signed on while (presumably) knowing the directions his character would go.

If Ritter is indeed coming back, I'm now concerned for Jessica Jones too. Here again is a Netflix character that had a lot of careful nuance, texture and layering. The MCU is fast becoming a bull in a china shop and I have to wonder if Jessica will be next.

[Silver Nemesis]

There's no reference to his Catholicism in this show, or to his murdered father, or to his mother Maggie, or to Foggy or Karen, or the massive mental and spiritual breakdown he suffered just four years ago, or to the previous times he's teamed up with other superheroes (Punisher, Jessica Jones), or to the fact there's a major villain at large who knows his secret identity (Kingpin), or to the fact a serial killer appropriated his identity and publically framed him (Bullseye), or to the new storefront legal practice Nelson & Murdock started in season 3. Besides Cox, the costume design, and a brief allusion to his theme music, there's nothing to tie this to the Netflix Daredevil. It might as well have been a completely new version of the character, and it probably would have been better if it had been.

There is a moment where the episode teases the viewer into thinking there's going to be a hallway fight, but then subverts the expectation for comic effect by having She-Hulk take out the bad guys instead. Kind of like Jake Skywalker throwing the lightsaber over his shoulder. It's the sort of irritating postmodern wink to the audience that makes the whole thing feel like self-parody. It's as though they're deliberately drawing attention to how silly the source material is, rather than putting in the hard work to convince the audience to take it seriously. It's a lazy and unimaginative approach, and one that undermines the gravitas and verisimilitude the makers of the Netflix show worked so hard to cultivate.

When it comes to humour, it doesn't have to be one extreme or the other. Daredevil doesn't have to be grimdark all the time, but nor does he have to be a wisecracking goofball devoid of dramatic depth. There's a happy medium to be struck, and this show missed it by miles.

Cox's Daredevil used to maintain a masked persona. He lowered his voice, hid in the shadows and capitalised on his devil costume to intimidate people. Now he's strolling about in broad daylight, trading lame banter and trying to elicit cheap laughs. Why even wear the devil mask anymore? It's like how Batman in the Burton/Schumacher series went from hiding in the shadows and stealing photographs taken of him, to posing in front of the press at charity galas and cracking jokes about never leaving the cave without his credit card. His personality in the 1997 movie has its basis in the sixties comics, but that doesn't mean it's appropriate behaviour for the Batman introduced in the 1989 film. Same goes for Whedon trying to turn Batfleck into a quipster in his version of Justice League. When a particular characterisation has been successfully established, respect it.

I also hated how She-Hulk was able to just casually pick up Daredevil during their first encounter and tear his mask off. If she can do that, what's to stop any other super strong villain from doing it?

One idea did occur to me which might put a more positive spin on this whole situation. Maybe this Daredevil really is a new version of the character, and perhaps each of the upcoming productions is intended to reflect a different era of the comics.

So She-Hulk could reflect the earliest Silver Age version of Daredevil, back when he was an underdeveloped character whose own creator, Stan Lee, even had difficulty differentiating him from Spider-Man. This was before his darker character traits and Catholicism had been introduced in the comics.

Then Maybe Echo will reflect the seventies Daredevil, being partnered with a female hero (Echo instead of Black Widow) and with his stories gradually becoming darker and more serious in tone.

And then perhaps Born Again will get to the good stuff, reflecting the Frank Miller Daredevil of the eighties. The only problem with this is that it would basically be a retread of the material already covered in the Netflix show.

Finally, I'm a little amazed that Cox agreed to this. I understand that he's an actor and he wants to work and earn a living in a very difficult and competitive industry. But still, it's difficult to understand how and why he signed on while (presumably) knowing the directions his character would go.

I wondered about this myself. I remember him saying in an interview years ago that he wanted to explore different dramatic scenarios for Matt, as it got boring playing the same argument scenes with Foggy over and over. Thing is, there's no drama in the She-Hulk episode. There's no emotional depth whatsoever. It's the epitome of fluff.

Cox is putting a positive spin on it during interviews, but I can't imagine he's genuinely a fan of this take on the character. It's so different from the one he and the Netflix show's writers developed. I can only assume he knows something we don't about the character's future. Maybe the scripts for Echo and Born Again are much better, and he considers She-Hulk a necessary stepping stone to those superior projects. Whatever his thoughts, I feel bad for him. He did a decent job with the awful material he was given, but even he couldn't save She-Hulk, any more than Keaton could have saved Batman & Robin. But I still like Charlie and consider him the definitive live action Daredevil. I don't blame him for any of this.

They really need to bring back Drew Goddard and some of the other Netflix writers for the upcoming Daredevil shows. And never, ever, ever allow the writers of She-Hulk to use the character again. The only way we'll get something better in future is if fans demand it and call Marvel out for their failings. Looking at the general response, that doesn't seem to be happening now. Most people are apparently perfectly happy with this crap, which means we'll be getting more of it in the future. If that's the case, then I probably won't watch any more of the MCU Daredevil.

If Ritter is indeed coming back, I'm now concerned for Jessica Jones too. Here again is a Netflix character that had a lot of careful nuance, texture and layering. The MCU is fast becoming a bull in a china shop and I have to wonder if Jessica will be next.

Regarding Jess, there was a rumour a few months ago (take this with a grain of salt) that she was meant to feature prominently in the Born Again series in 2024. Supposedly a scheduling conflict is preventing Ritter from reprising the role, so they're rewriting the scripts to have Bernthal return as the Punisher and take her place. Or so the rumours claim.

[Kamdan]

Not my personal response, but a rebuttal of your statements.

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRuDSSgU/

[Silver Nemesis]

Here's my rebuttal of her rebuttal.

The thrust of that woman's argument is that Matt is a lying, cheating man whore, and that he's always been depicted that way since the beginning of season 1. She also claims Matt's appearance in She-Hulk is tantamount to a spring break vacation where he's letting loose and enjoying himself.

Let's start with the first point. Foggy's allusions to Matt's love life in DD season 1 are largely based on Matt's college years – and in particular his troubled relationship with Elektra – combined with inaccurate assumptions Foggy makes concerning his mysterious double life. College-age Matt was reckless and irresponsible in comparison to present day Matt. Back then he was only too happy to break into somebody else's home and help himself to their stuff just to impress his girlfriend. Could I buy into that version of Cox's Matt having a one-night stand? Sure.

But the character matured beyond that reckless phase of his life. He grew up, and the season 2 episode 'Kinbaku' very effectively contrasts the parallel narratives between college Matt courting Elektra and the older Matt courting Karen to illustrate how the older Murdock's attitude towards sex and romantic relationships has changed. This is an example of character growth. Nowhere in DD seasons 1-3 do we see the present day Matt acting like his horny college-age self, and not once do we ever see him engage in a 'hook up'.

Prior to She-Hulk, he only canonically slept with one woman – Elektra – and that was back when he was a college boy. There were other love interests in his life, but that doesn't make him a 'man whore' or prove that he was promiscuous. In the season 1 episode 'World on Fire' Foggy tells Karen that Matt's past relationships didn't generally last for more than a month or two; he never said that they only lasted for one night. Citing Foggy's inaccurate inferences concerning Matt's double life is not a solid basis for calling him a man whore, nor does Matt's onscreen behaviour support that assessment. Matt had the opportunity to sleep with both Claire and Karen, and in neither case would it have been a 'hook up', and yet in both instances he chose not to do it.

It was also established in DD seasons 1-3 that this version of Matt has deep feelings for Karen, and that he's very likely in love with her. So why is he sleeping with another woman he's only just met? Didn't any of the build-up in the Matt/Karen relationship mean anything? And before anyone cites him cheating on Karen with Typhoid Mary in the comics, I'd point out that he was under Typhoid's supernatural influence at the time and not in control of his actions. Even if he had been in complete control, it still wouldn't necessarily make it right for this version of Daredevil to do the same thing.

As to the 'Matt's on vacation' argument – no he isn't. He's away from New York working on a case, and every time he puts on the Daredevil suit he enters business mode and 'lets the devil out'. His crime fighting activities aren't a hobby he does for fun. They're his vocation, a cause that he feels morally compelled to pursue. A way for him to vent his inner darkness and channel it to a virtuous cause. Once again, this is not the Silver Age Daredevil we're talking about. It's the Netflixverse version.

Someone in the comment section of that video argues that Matt's behaviour in She-Hulk is consistent for someone who's an 'ex-Catholic'. The problem with this argument lies in the fact Matt isn't an ex-Catholic, or a cafeteria Catholic, or a lapsed Catholic, or a nominal Catholic. According to Joe Quesada, long-time Daredevil comic editor and executive producer on the Netflix show, Matt is a "practicing Catholic." Which by definition means he practices Catholic values in his daily life, which would include not engaging in hook ups. Admittedly the comics have been woefully inconsistent on this point over the years, usually as a result of multiple writers interpreting his level of religiosity differently. But with Cox's version of the character, the portrayal of his faith was far more consistent. At least until now.

Maybe the MCU Daredevil isn't Catholic anymore. Maybe he's an ex-Catholic. There were certainly eras in the comics when Matt stopped practicing his faith (along with the whole faking his own death thing, this is one of the most frequently repeated character arcs in the source material). If so, fine. But if this is meant to be the Matt from the Netflixverse, as all the evidence indicates, then his moral character should reflect that. I agree with what colors said – that I could believe Matt might go for a one-night stand when he'd lost his faith in DD season 3 and was at his lowest spiritual ebb. Or, as I said earlier, that the college-age Matt might have had a one-night stand when he was younger. But the more pious, conscientious and morally-responsible Matt from the end of DD season 3? No.

To reiterate, I'm not talking about the comic book Matt, the Silver Age version, the Mark Waid version, or even the college-age Matt from the Netflix show's flashback scenes. I'm talking about the mature Matt from the end of DD season 3. That's who the Daredevil in She-Hulk is meant to be, and that's where the writing falls short.

If others feel that this is their version of Matt, then that's fine. Everyone's entitled to their opinion. And it's still my opinion that She-Hulk is a bad TV show which, outside of the courtroom scene, failed to recapture the superb characterisation of Cox's Matt Murdock as he was written in the Netflixverse. That's just my two cents.

[The Laughing Fish]

The reality with Daredevil is that everything with the character ultimately needs to harmonize with Miller, Mack, Bendis and other writers. Nocenti to a lesser degree. That's the character's core canon imo.

The Netflix show embodied all of that. Netflix Murdock was so well defined, in fact, that I'm very open to the idea of classifying Defenders as Daredevil season 2.5. You could argue that since Matt was clearly the strongest, most well-developed character in the entire Netflix universe that forcing the other characters (Jessica, Danny, et. al.) into Defenders ultimately worked against them to varying degrees. It says something that Defenders was so narratively focused on Matt that the other characters were basically supporting characters to him.

It's a real shame that everything that made Netflix Matt so special has been sacrificed on the MCU's "Isn't this all so SILLY?" tone and style.

After everything the MCU has done to the likes Thor and Bruce Banner/Hulk, I'm not at all surprised they undermined everything that was previously established by Drew Goddard and co for Daredevil. Frankly, I thought that sentiment would've been shared among many other people.

With that said, Charlie Cox has stated everything surrounding Daredevil going forward is brand new. When he was asked about Born Again during a presentation at D23, he claimed the new show is not Season 4, and it's a completely different thing altogether. So with that in mind, nothing this She-Hulk episode has done matters to me because it's all but confirmed that Cox is playing another version of the character.

If there is a silver lining to this, the Netflix continuity is protected. But the only problem is a far less discerning audience still believes he's playing the same character that began in 2015. I don't think many people will understand it's a soft reboot until it becomes increasingly obvious as we get closer to Echo and Born Again. The thing is, the signs were already there before Cox returned in costume. Take a look at Wilson Fisk in Hawkeye, and you'd be hard-pressed to convince yourself that Vincent D'Onofrio is playing the same character as the one from the Netflix show.

There is also the other problem that the MCU die-hards will likely call you a "toxic Netflix Daredevil fanboy" if you dare criticise the MCU version. I say that's a childish thing to say because I believe the #SaveDaredevil community did lend a helping hand showing their love and support for Charlie Cox getting the role back.

She-Hulk doesn't interest me one bit, so I've only seen the clips of Cox's performance on YouTube. To be honest, I think he got off rather lightly compared to some characters who were made of a mockery, such as the aforementioned two Avengers. It's still disappointing, but it's a waste of time and energy complaining about it, much less getting stressed out with how it differs from the Netflix continuity.

Finally, I'm a little amazed that Cox agreed to this. I understand that he's an actor and he wants to work and earn a living in a very difficult and competitive industry. But still, it's difficult to understand how and why he signed on while (presumably) knowing the directions his character would go.

Cox is a tremendous talent who deserves a much higher profile in the industry. Sadly, for whatever reason, that isn't the case. I don't blame him for accepting a lucrative deal to come back to the role even if the material has declined in quality when he hasn't gotten much work to do ever since the Netflix run ended.

I'm still curious to find out more about Echo and Born Again. Echo was the perhaps best character in that disappointing Hawkeye show, so maybe her show will be better than whatever silly nonsense that She-Hulk had on offer. At best, I think Born Again will be as good as Moon Knight - a decent show which delved into some psychological depth and relied on two strong performances but still not anywhere near in the same league as the original Netflix show. I think that's the best we can hope for at this stage.

If Ritter is indeed coming back, I'm now concerned for Jessica Jones too. Here again is a Netflix character that had a lot of careful nuance, texture and layering. The MCU is fast becoming a bull in a china shop and I have to wonder if Jessica will be next.

I'm more concerned about Bernthal, to be honest. Yes, the Punisher show was a bit of a mixed bag and wasn't as good as his Daredevil Season 2 appearances, but I'm skeptical the MCU will improve his take on the character,

[thecolorsblend]

Here's my rebuttal of her rebuttal.

If I may, what she did wasn't a rebuttal. That's damage control.

I'm not even mad. Her handler gave her a list of talking points, she dutifully rattled them off and then light's out. The end.

It's sort of like those dimwits in other corners of the Internet who say "See? This thing you loathe, NOW IT'S CANON, BWAH HAHAHA HAHA HAHAAHA HA!"

It's absurd. And kind of sad.

[The Laughing Fish]

This is from the final episode:

The worst Daredevil scene I've watched thus far. MCU apologists will still argue Matt Murdock should be happy and have light-hearted moments, but I say not if it's at the point of making him the butt of the joke. This is eye-rolling stuff.